Debbie McDonald
If you have oaks on your property – and I really hope you do – did you notice how many acorns have dropped this Fall? If you have a metal roof, you’ve probably heard every dropped acorn hit like a gun shot! I swear the squirrels wait for me to step outside to shake acorns off the trees and onto our metal barn roof just to see me jump.
Every two to five years oak trees have a mast year, meaning they produce an overabundance of acorns, increasing food availability and population growth for birds, squirrels, mice, deer and other wildlife. It takes a great deal of energy, so in subsequent years the trees will bear little to no nuts. That, in turn, lowers wildlife populations. When the oak tree masts again, providing an abundance of food for lower wildlife populations, there’s a higher chance that some acorns will be left to germinate and grow into future oak trees.
Once again I’m going to recommend you read The Nature of Oaks by Douglas Tallamy. It’s available for free through our great library system or at book sellers. The book is divided by months so you can read what is currently happening with your oak trees and is written in an easy style. Oaks are a treasure on High Prairie.
Garry Oak (aka: Oregon White Oak) acorns. Bottom: unripe acorns. Left: Ripe acorns ready for harvest.